...a roam to Rome!

Domani...

2008-01-02T02:00:00.000-08:00

As I walked down the heart of San Francisco, and saw star-struck tourists snapping pictures left and right, I smiled and remembered one thing: they have probably seen more of the bay than I have because they know they wont be here to see it tomorrow, so they go see it today.

When I lived in Siena, I lived only a block from the Piazza del Campo. Tourists flocked the main square and would scale the tower. Yet, since I lived just a block away, and I could enjoy the breathtaking sight any time, I took the privilege for granted, and I never did get around to it.

Likewise, in life, we sometimes live life in tourist mode and soak up what ever we can because we know we might not have a chance tomorrow.

Other people are so sure they'll have tomorrow, and the next, that they never get around to following their dreams. For them, tomorrow never comes.

We all have a yearning within our hearts. A dream, maybe. A goal. It can be something small. Domani! Tomorrow!... it waits.

Tomorrow. Like the horizon. You keep walking towards it, but it never comes.

I prefer to live life like a visitor. Soak up what ever I can. Experience as much as I can. No more waiting because all I have is today, and I'm done with waiting for that elusive tomorrow...

Day before Kennedy's Assasination:

Day before the atomic bombing of Hiroshima:

Day before 9-11:

Take on me...

2008-01-01T01:45:00.000-08:00

(Original Post Date May 1)

Tonight as I was turning off the tv sound system, the radio came on by accident with a song from the 80’s called "Take On Me". Remember the video? A hand from a cartoon dimension reaches out to a lady of human dimensions and both worlds unite? I stood there amazed remembering Bergen.

I met a wonderful Norwegian man when I lived near Venice, two years into our relationship he asked me to move to Norway for a few months and I did. One day, the song “Take On Me” by A-Ha came on. He stopped to look at the radio and laughed saying; “Their English is awful! This isn’t English it’s Norwegian!”. I said that it sounded pretty good to me. He explained that A-Ha is from Norway, and lost in translation is the fact that in Norwegian “take on me” means “Reach out to me” or "touch me".

One day I tried to close the windows since it was dark and snowing outside. He seemed frustrated but patiently explained “You always need fresh air. Why would you want to close the windows or close the blinds? Closing the blinds to us is like trying to keep the world out, that’s why you always see open windows and open doors. Anyone can just walk in, it’s okay… "

So, as I stood in the bedroom and looked out I stared at the maze of windows in front of me. People having dinner. People sleeping. People kissing. People studying. Likewise, I’m sure they saw me! Norwegian winter brought 21 hour nights, and 3 hours days and we kept our windows open and our lights on. I pretended I had privacy and proceeded to let the world into my life and share my life to the world…

Now I live in the United States, and a few days ago I opened a few windows to get some fresh air. Through instinct I closed all of them but a small one way up high. It was 7 feet up, and no one could see inside, but I could still get fresh air. To my surprise, a neighbor who I’ve never met before, and never spoke to before knocked on my door. She was biting her nail looking concerned and apologetic. She said “I'm sorry, but did you know that you have a window open? I was walking to my backyard and thought, Oh my goodness, I wonder if they realize it!” I thanked her. In disbelief I remembered what my ex had said. He would have been shocked at the fact that a neighbor actually came over and was concerned enough to ask me to close the window.

Americans hear “take me on” and tend to close their windows, thereby closing the world…

Norway hears “reach out to me” and open their widows, refusing to keep the world out...

I miss the world in my life, I really do… I wish a hand from another dimension would reach out to me kindly caring to know mine.

You have the answer...

2008-01-01T01:40:00.000-08:00

(Original Post Date December 1st)

Many readers often write to me with all the things they'd love to do, but they don't because of family.

Today, as I read my private journal, one post stood out more than others. Yes, I keep a blog and a private journal. In my private notes I can be brutally honest, write from the heart, and be as super cheezy as I please… but I'll share one excerpt for a few people who are currently going through what I went through:

July, 2007

San Francisco Bay, California

...but what value would there be in life if one were to bitterly slip into unhappy conformity as you watch your essence and what you stand-for slip away from your tired fingers. No my dear, nothing destroys the spirit like the disillusionment of a life not lived.

For a life full of dreams is not enough. You need to live the goals you've set for yourself, fill your heart with smiles and soak your lips with the taste of freedom in order to brighten your perspective.

True. Nostalgia is life's great rose-colored filter that tends to rewrite our past.

True. Goals and dreams are the great rose-colored filter of our future, blinding us of the real challenges up ahead.

But both are sometimes necessary during hard times if we want to numb the reality of our todays, as we hold-on for better days...

My life's love destroys my loved ones, and it also destroys itself… Becoming as worthy as that lovely dress in the store window whose enormous price tag makes it unattainably ugly and unworthy.
In the past, I've made the choice to cancel goals for my family's happiness, at the expense of my own.

Yes, if I go out into the world again, I may have in the future all kinds of troubles waiting for me, but I'm willing to take the risk in hopes that I can also have many of my desires, and during my last days when I look back and balance both, that smiles outweigh tears, that benefits outweigh costs, and that a love-filled heart and the fresh aftertaste of freedom still lingers, blending with the sweetness of a life well lived...

Despite the hesitation seen above, I made my choice to go forward. Family came around.
Easy? No. But I'm glad I listened to my self... otherwise, I would have had to live with regret.

This post is for a few people who don't have blogs, but have shared with me their current dilemma.

No matter what it is. All I have to say in response is to have good intentions, do your research, and listen to your inner voice. You have the answer. Life's too short to ignore your self...

Abandoned Italian Paradise

2008-01-01T01:30:00.000-08:00

(Original Post Date Sept 4)

Before going ‘home’ for the holidays in Norway, the Viking and I spent over a month in a picturesque Italian town nestled in the alps. Population: 150 (official count is 750, but I wonder if it includes the houses below). Language: Venetian Dialect. Streets: only one street rich in history and tradition.

I arrived in Italy a week before he did and boy was I in for a surprise! In that little town I learned the meaning of "friendship, family, fresh food, and small town charm!".

It took me a full day of travel to finally reach the small secluded Italian town from California. When I finally arrived to the train station on the valley below, I hadn’t been able to sleep in over 30 hours and I was exhausted! but had to wait in the crisp December breeze for the landlady, since she insisted on picking me up from the train station.

"Leave the luggage in the car, lets go shopping!". The "quick drive home" twisted and turned through a dangerously narrow alpine road with breath taking views, and the minutes turned into hours of shopping and meeting her friends. She treated me like a guest, and I felt at home!

Ah, but afterwards she refused to take me home since "it's dark, no one is there, and the grocery store is closed", so she insisted I joining her for a meal with her husband, two very well behaved courteous young boys, and many of the town residents.

After full day of schmoozing Italian style, I finally opened the door to my cozy apartment and went straight to the bedroom and opened the window taking in the crisp winter air, and fell in bed admiring the massive view of the alps with a smile. My first day back in Italy had been very heart warming!

When the Viking finally arrived from Norway to join me, he had it coming since by then the entire town of 150 knew about us and wanted to know all about these two foreigners in this very history rich small corner of Italy!

Two days before Christmas, we left to Venice in order to finish our Christmas shopping and we rushed "home" to Bergen, Norway to spend Christmas with his family… but this small Italian town stayed in my heart!

Today I came across pictures of another small town gifted with similar breathtaking views, but something else happened and it's hard to explain! All the citizens left!

They abandoned their roots, local traditions, and homes! I'm sure this town also had so much to offer! What causes citizens to abandon en masse their beloved traditions and home?

No one lives here!!!
Abandoned Italian Town

(Click on the images to see the entire picture collection from the source)

Ironically! the top picture on the right says "I'll be right back!"
but no one came back! This entire village in Norther Italy, west of Genoa is empty!

There are many flowering small towns in Italy, still true to their roots and Italian charm! I know, I've seen them! I've visited them, and I've lived in them!
How could a full group of people, young and old, together decide to abandon their paradise roots?

How I became multi-lingual... super fast.

2007-12-27T01:36:00.000-08:00

Ah, yes. This is why vacations are so nice. Christmas eve was small, warm and cozy. Whereas after our Christmas day mass, we indulged in never ending plates of food surrounded by dozens upon dozens of relatives… followed by today's complete quiet.

So, having an entire day just to myself, I unpacked my old boxes of books. Opening my Italian literature books brought back memories that made me giggle.

You see, I grew up bilingual, and I've always been exposed to many languages, but I felt I could never learn a 3rd - much less a 4th - language. Believing it couldn't be done, I put it off. In college, a multi-lingual professor convinced me otherwise. Believing I could lean more languages changed my entire outlook.

It now seemed so natural! If she can do it, I can do it.

Going for something because you want it, and believing you can have it, gives you the mental clarity to find a way to get there... fast. So, I studied my 3rd and 4th language simultaneously. I was determined to make things easier and fun, and I advanced well ahead of the class thanks to a couple tricks I tried. A few of them worked well, others didn't.

Yes, learning a new language is very mathematical to me. Grammar rules are formulas. But I can handle them with a fun attitude. How?

If anyone wants to learn a new language (fast), I recommend translating scenes from movies you love, and new songs that move you. Turn on the Italian subtitles to the Italian movie and translate w.o.r.d - f.o.r - w.o.r.d. Pause every second to write the lyrics or dialogue in your own handwriting, translate them with a different pen color. What does the word mean? Why is it written this way? How is it placed compared to other words? Prepositions. Pay attention to the prepositions, they are crucial.

At first, it seems like a slow process, but you will actually save months leaning over textbooks. Many questions will arise, and you will need to refer to your grammar books and dictionaries for answers. Discovering each answer will set off internal sirens and blinking lights. Those "a-ha" moments will make a new language stick. Grammar is still a must, but it can be learned passively. This helps reinforce the rules.

Anyone who has tried to learn a new language will quickly find that there are 3 very different areas that must be learned:

Spoken language (pronunciation and flow)
Hearing comprehension (understanding what others say to you)
Written language (being able to read and write a new language)

Once you understand a movie scene or a song, watch or listen to it over and over and over while you read your notes. Repetition will reinforce: vocabulary, spelling, pronunciation, and hearing comprehension of super fast speech.

When you enjoy something, it becomes easy to dive into it for many hours a day, every day. I call it "controlled immersion", because I felt immersed in the new language, but I chose and knew the words that were bombarding me, over and over.

This technique helped me skip a year and a half of lessons. From college level 1 I skipped straight to level 9 and then transferred to an Italian university. Oh, it did wonders for me. I should have stuck with this for a bit longer before jumping into literature.

Hmm, I could never have imagined that 6 years later I would be earning a living translating Italian into English. I could have done this earlier, too. But, again, I didn't think this was possible.

Eugene Ware says it best: "All glory comes from daring to begin." …and knowing it can be done.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas.

~ ~ x O x O x ~ ~

2007-12-22T22:42:00.000-08:00

This week I finally reserved my room in the heart of Rome. It's only a couple blocks from the Vatican and within walking distance of everything, but as my friend likes to say "that's a story over coffee". Meaning, ah, that story is much too long for now.

Meanwhile, after an Italian translation marathon, I'm taking a week long vacation to enjoy my enormous family and our holiday festivities. I need this desperately. Working European hours from California is taking a heavy toll on me, I feel it.
It worries me. A lot. Goals fuel my long hours, but I need to be kinder to... me. Well, what ever little bit of me is left, that is.

Ah, but my vacation began yesterday and today I treated myself to something special. Oh, you have no idea how much I'd been craving this!

Today I took the subway to downtown San Francisco. Amidst the busy festive center, I found my crêpes filled with Italian NUTELLA (and strawberries, too) Yessss...

(That's me in the window's reflection :)

"Luna d'argento con stelle dorate,

gnomi, folletti e fatine incantate,

una pioggia di auguri e un pensiero fatato

per un Natale e un anno più che mai fortunato!"

The holidays are finally here, and I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas :o)

Plan B

2007-12-16T10:18:00.000-08:00

It all starts with a faint whisper. But for stubborn girls like me, curiosity crescendos to a loud calling I can't ignore. Meanwhile, the holidays are here and here I am. I kneel down and a 4 year old wraps its arms around me and as my cheek feels a kiss, I look up to a festive home filled with dozens of relatives. I'm home. Another hug, it's my young energetic uncle "aren't you in Italy yet?" I smile. "Soon!" and now it is me who changes the subject. Yes, soon… oh, so soon! My list tells me so.

I like lists.

Long detailed lists.

Plan A… Plan B. Plan C. Plan Z.

Why? Because routines and lists are life's great anesthetic that numbs us into a sense of security… but they also end up trapping us into habits that don't allow us to grow. I feel it.

Plans; life's Roadmap. While I've been occupying my mind tirelessly hours on end with one plan, one goal. Somehow a new (unplanned) door gracefully opened before me. Accept life's surprise for me?

My controlling nature rebels and demands I follow my old plan down to its most meticulous detail… but to my surprise, life wooed me and here I am, going to Rome with a new plan I didn't plan for, I didn't write for myself, but with new ways that have entirely captivated me! The best things in my life never had a long list, were never part of my plans... they are things that just happened, and I almost didn't dare give them the chance to be.

Recently something changed inside me. I'm comfortable enough that I no longer need strict plans to give me security, and I no longer need external permission... funny thing is that by letting go I now have both of them. Pfff!. Thanks, I guess, but I'll just take the flexibility of my internal safety blanket that goes where I go, and I'll adjust to the rest of life's details as they come.

January is almost here. Where did the year go? Life flies by oh so fast!

Plan B. That's the one. Plan Be. I'll dive in to life abroad and allow my life to just Be...

Commute? 9 to 5? Pfffff!! No, Grazie!

2007-12-12T02:04:00.001-08:00

Their professions? Many.

Their ways of working? Endless.

What do they have in common? Inner strength and the grace to know how to face the good and the bad that comes with total freedom.

If you're an Expat living your life how you want to live your life, where you want to live your life, then you probably work for yourself. It's a challenge, yes, but everything worth doing in life will be challenging, it will never be perfect, and it will require discipline and hard work. I understand that clearly. To me, the rewards are priceless but what has been greater is the comfort and happiness that I take from my days! Why didn't I do this sooner?

This field and my clients have been very kind to me. It might be due to the fact that there are very few Italian to English translators in the US, and even fewer who work with European companies from the US. Yes, I received a warm welcome into this profession. But working for ourselves is a learning process, and we still make mistakes.

Today I found a great article about the top 10 mistakes freelancers make and it reminded me so much of what Julia's said, because it mirrors what many of us also go through. Julia is not a translator, but she is a freelancer living in Italy and she wrote a post about how much she has grown professionally over the last decade. Oh, trust me! Every day clients ask me to quote on projects, and I can relate! I've been learning to defend my work, but it definitely comes with practice.

The top 10 mistakes made include "Charging too little" and "Choosing the wrong clients", but what I liked the best was the last one:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Failing to be yourself!
"Often we take work because we need the income,
but it doesn’t align with who we are. And we feel awful about it,
and slowly we begin to hate ourselves. Until we no longer want to do
the work. How to avoid:" Well, for the rest of the article go => here.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Definitely. I've learned not to do that to myself! It took so much research and training to be able to do this well and to finally take control of my life that I chose to do what works for me. How? By opening my horizons, working with good clients and shooooing away negativity.

I cannot emphasize enough to others how important it is to listen to your gut feeling! Listen to yourself! Honestly, if something is giving you a bad feeling, then find out why and what you can do to change it, even if it's how you deal with it... life's too precious to ignore yourself.

It took time, but I finally opened my own path and it's very enjoyable to walk down a path when you chose it, when you opened it for your self. This is my own path :)

Meanwhile, since I work my own hours at home, I like to go out to get fresh air each morning. I find it soothing. But that means that most people are either at work or in school, so I find myself surrounded by moms with little kids.

Yesterday I came across Santa, and while most little kids cried or were scared of him, one little girl beamed with joy and she ran to Santa! I quickly snapped a picture. Too cute. Notice the mom with her toddler on the top right hand corner? When I get out of the house in the morning, I'm surrounded by happy moms, I tell you :)

You know, to be honest, while I'm making this huge move to Rome, I decided to stay away from negative people and negative blogs. While we cannot ignore every negative person, we don't have to be part of their negativity. Once I did that, I found myself genuinely focusing on productive ways of doing things which ended up transferring into good results professionally and personally. I found this amazing...

Personal Anthem...

2007-12-09T01:16:00.000-08:00

As we walk our path. Who hasn't stopped to look back? Then look forward? I look back over my years. No. I don't remember a time when I wasn't a salmon swimming against the current, nor like David fighting Goliath.

How many years have I've been planning, learning, researching, working? Many. I've paid my dues. Now every sweat drop, tear, and smile adds up to the gift of my todays.

Like something in the horizon that approaches you, that Tomorrow is now Today.

When I look forward butterflies fill my stomach, but I'm tickled with excitement. Is this my life? Yes it is, because there's a time for everything. This is the right time for me and it seems even… *gasp* easy! No. It hasn't been easy. But I've learned many lessons. With practice, you can make almost anything seem easy.

Most definitely. Any kind of transition and new beginning is scary. So scary. Yet, it's a step we must take.

New beginnings means something must end. So, there might be a few more tears before there are more smiles. But I keep moving forward because I know I'll thank myself in a couple months.

Freelancing can be scary due to the lack of a "job". I'm independent. Giving up security is not for the faint of heart, but taking risks is necessary to reap good rewards. So, here I am working away with pink slippers, hot cocoa by a Christmas tree and my favorite songs. I really do love what I do, and my clients, too.

This song, I might add, has become my Personal Anthem!

"Well, I was so scared
And now I think I'll get through life as a girl,
Now I think I'll get through
Anything"

Reach!

2007-12-05T23:35:00.000-08:00

Hope turned to excitement to an ooooh, boy! What did I get myself into?

Yes, I won the bid to translate a 26 page medical document for a pharmaceutical product that is being introduced in to the US market. A blessing? I questioned it when, at first glance, the tight deadline made a challenging task very intimidating! It took a while, but I finally forced myself to work on it ...and to my surprise, everything flowed smoothly and I actually enjoyed the file!

I was reminded, once again, that things are never as bad as they seem. We just need to take that first step and get down to it! I met the deadline, and it was actually delightful! Others might not like it, but I love deep heavy stuff that make my brain twist.

Tipsy Pastries!

Meanwhile, here is an old family recipe. Monday was my sister's birthday, and she wanted us to bake cookies again, so we did. Mom brought out her recipe notebook that has been handed down my family. It's half burned from an old kitchen fire, but it survived.

My favorite pastry is very simple and I always find elegance in simplicity!

I call it Tipsy Pastry because besides flour, the other ingredient is... beer!

500 gm Flour
125 gm Vegetable Shortening
125 gm Lard (or more veg. shortening)
1/2 BEER

Make a dough and roll flat.

Fill with fruit or jam to make a mini-pie.

Pinch the edges or us this tool!

Bake for 25 minutes.

Coat with sugar and cinnamon.

Mine are always filled with Quince jam! Beer+Quince Jam=Intense Flavor!

...a couple minutes a day add-up!

2007-11-30T16:14:00.000-08:00

Note: NaBloPoMo participants are welcome to use the badge if they want. I have authorization to use the image, so I'm sure it's okay.

We made it! Where did the month go? Looking back, I must admit there were a few times when all I wanted to do was hurl my laptop out the window and throw my hands up in the air!

But despite being under very tight deadlines with my Italian translations, I always took a second to write a quick post.

...and you know what? It became easier as time went on. Actually, my favorite NaBloPoMo post "Domani" only took me 5 minutes to write. 1 very busy evening. 3 powerful images. 5 minutes writing from the heart.

NaBloPoMo taught me one thing: Despite my hectic schedule, there's no such thing as "I don't have time for..."

Do the math. There are 1440 minutes in a day. 15 minutes dedicated to learning a few vocabulary words of a new language, or reading a couple pages from a book, or taking a short walk, or writing down your thoughts means we still have 1425 minutes left in the day for the rest of the things that we "have" to do...

It starts out difficult. It gets easier. Then "making a little room" becomes second nature.

That's what I'll take from NaBloPoMo...

Christmas Tree Scents

2007-11-28T21:44:00.000-08:00

I don't understand why, but it's definitely in my nature. It's how I get energized and release built up pressure :) But under stress, I curl my hair, spend an hour doing my make-up, put on high heels, add a touch of perfume, play soft music, enjoy a pastry. It soothes me. It brings my spirits up. It re-energizes me to keep putting one foot in front of the other as I try to move forward in life... Like they say; when facing a challenge, put your best face forward!

To me, there's nothing more soothing than walking through a soft, welcoming, decorated, nicely scented home. So, inspired by San Francisco's Tree Lighting Ceremony, I went out and brought a natural Christmas tree! Immediately the home filled with that Christmassy pine scent which brings back pleasant memories.

The colors I chose for this year's Christmas Tree: Silver and Royal Blue :)

This is a small flat, so the tree entirely overpowers the living room. It brings a soft aura of optimism. Peace. Reflection. Colors, lights and scents. Makes it feel nice to be at home. Now. Tomorrow is tomorrow. Today I have this and I'll enjoy this :)

...because the Universe keeps nothing :)

2007-11-27T23:49:00.000-08:00

That's why!

I often get the question "if you have an idea, know a different way to do something that not many knew about, why do you give it away? others would hide their secrets jealously and count their blessings"...and it always makes me giggle!

Hmm, if I have to look for a self-benefiting excuse, I think I have one.

I am convinced that our actions, like the mysterious flow of blessings, is a boomerang. Definitely a boomerang.

When life sends you something good, take it, be grateful, but send it right back out without expecting anything in return! You know what? Experience tells me that it comes right back to you, because the Universe keeps nothing!

But if if you keep it to yourself, or are jealous about it, it's done and over with. Game Over. You killed it. Yes, you have it, but nothing more can come of it.

Likewise, if something bad happens to you. Don't send it out. Drop it. Game Over. Otherwise, more of it keeps brewing up! Best to end it. Move on.

...but keep sending out the good, baby!

You know, I must admit that since I began blogging and others began asking me to help them be able to finance an international life, my clients have kept me the busiest! Every day reminds me that the universe keeps nothing!

So, my advice is, if something helps you, take it! Then reach other to others when you can...

Tina is a kindred spirit, who is also fluent in Italian and wanted to work her languages to country-hop and live in Italy. It didn't take her long to get going, and I'm very proud of her! She gave me the Inspirational Blogger Award, and I want to thank her :)

The Inspirational Blogger Award -
For those bloggers who inspire others through their words and actions.
With a positive attitude, and an uplifting spirit
these bloggers make the blogosphere a better place,
and encourage others to do the same.
This award is for bloggers who rise up to set an example
but continue to reach out and support others.

Thank you Tina! and I'm glad you were able to pick-up your translation business so quickly :)
I know how much effort it takes to grow it. I hope it will help you return to all those places close to your heart :)

In the end, even in the small things of daily life, those who have a negative mentality fall victim to self-fulfilling prophecies.

Instead, with the right outlook, solid research and effort, you'll be surprised how gracefully paths open up before you in ways you didn't know possible! Cheezy but true.

For me, the first step was really the hardest. You just have to take the first step...

The Magic of San Francisco's Holiday Season

2007-11-24T13:50:00.000-08:00

...even the San Francisco weather was mild and festive. The sky was clear and illuminated by a bright nearly full moon which can be seen in the second to last picture.

Last night, as I was walking through the city streets, contemplating on my translations and my move to Italy, I looked up at the tall city buildings sparkling with holiday decorations, the wide streets bustling with people, cars zooming by, and this might be home, but it reminds me so much of Rome's busy atmosphere. I live in the heavily internationalized San Francisco Bay with 7 million people. I realized that this might be why I'm more inclined to that lovely chaotic international but Italian city.

As I was speaking to a friend today, I mentioned that San Francisco is my favorite city in the world. "Then why are you going to Rome?" I didn't have to think about it... "because this is home. I love it here. I'm comfortable here. But we always need to step outside our comfort zone to really see what we are made of, and I have so much to learn from the people and sights that I will absorb in Rome." This might be my favorite city because I feel at home here, but there are countless beautiful cities out there to see!

Of course, I'd also love to use my Italian language on a daily basis and be able to once in a while get out of the city and hide myself within a good book nestled amidst a small, ancient, quiet Italian town... then come back home to feel the pulse of a large internationalized city.

So, last night my sister and I took the subway line that's just 2 blocks from my flat, and soon ended up in the heart of San Francisco. We walked up to Macy's department store, and found a large crowd assembled in front of a dark tree while a boy's choir sang Christmas carols.

Soon, the countdown began and the Christmas tree was lit! We walked around with the crowd a bit. Enjoyed a nice pizza, holiday snacks, street music, took pictures and after a few hours, we took the subway home again.

When I arrived home, I was actually able to finish another translation. I sent the completed translation to my client and fell asleep very, very happy... this was a good week.

Even the San Franciscan kitty cats up for adoption were quite festive!
and quite curious about this girl taking their picture...

Did you notice the roasted castagne (chestnuts)? I finally found them!

Airplanes and Risotto with Turkey :)

2007-11-21T23:47:00.000-08:00

Photo Credit: Stuck in Customs Blog, Creative Commons License

Must admit the airport was very chaotic today, controlled chaos, but chaos nonetheless...
with 40 million travelers in the US air today, we all knew what to expect and showed patience.
Of course, there was a good system in place which helped a lot.

In the end, despite crowded roads and flight delays, all of my family made it home for Thanksgiving :)

Thanksgiving Risotto with Turkey

Here is a simple and delicious recipe that works perfectly with left over turkey!

Cook Scallions in butter for 30 seconds

Add Pearled Barley (rice)
and Tarragon (herb)

Add Chicken Stock and boil for 20 minutes

On a separate pan melt butter with olive oil

Add Turkey and Shiitakes Mushrooms

Brown until crisp...

Mix the browned Turkey to the Risotto

Serve and enjoy! :)

(Weeeelll, it's supposed to look like this)

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Isn't Life Wonderful?

2007-11-18T12:02:00.000-08:00

This is a guest post by my blog buddy Astrid from "Life with a Seaview" :)

We are lucky to be able to travel whenever we want. To choose a country where to study, another one where to live and a third one from which we might find our other half, soul mate or best friend.

Not only a physical travel but also mentally, connecting ourself to an ocean of information, images and people. Internet is a door opener, or if you'd like; a world opener.

Isn't that wonderful?

An ocean of possibilities our parents didn't have, unless they went to the library, bought a plane ticket or rented a VHS. That's not a long time ago but times are changing at an incredible pace. I ask myself whether we actually stop for a moment to think about it, to realize that we can extend ourselves with almost endless possibilities?

This is also a whole new social era, (well maybe not so new for others but very new for me) when distances and appearances don't count much. Only words and sentences do. You can stay and read a web page, or you click onto the next and it's all allowed. Nobody gets offended if you don't return...

I think I've met a friend. The first friend I've made on the information highway. I don't know what she looks like but I know a lot of other important things that she shares with her words of wisdom on her blog. I chose to stay and read. Somehow her words made a difference to me.

But what does a Bergenser girl and a San Fransisco girl have in common? A love for travel and Italy? I don't know. If you ask someone why s/he is friends with another person you won't be able to find a uniform answer. Some might say they have a lot in common, some being total opposites. Some might say they share experiences. Some not.

Eventually through a whole life people would have crossed your path, they stayed or moved on, but always leaving an impact however big or small. A presence that changed an instant, a day or a whole life. Isn't that wonderful?

I've lived eight years away from the city of rain, Bergen. It seems only like an instant. I've passed by Nottingham (UK), Toulon (Fance), Milan (Italy) and back again to Toulon. As the years pass by I find it harder to find real friends, or maybe it's just my need which becomes less significant...

The years abroad so far have been easy, tough and happy. In every place I've made some wonderful friends. Not many, but this is all about quality and not quantity! And these people have meant (and mean) so much to me. Thanks to them living in a foreign country has been, and is easy. They are there when I need to share the good, the bad and the average day.

I'm no exception to the rule; I should tell how much I appreciate their friendships and how they enrich my life.

And this goes for all the blogs I love reading too. There are wonderful individuals all around our planet, sharing their stories, leaving words of encouragements to each other, creating friendships and small communities where we all can belong and take part.

Internet has become an alternative way of traveling and meeting fantastic people! That is wonderful!

* Image courtesy : Stuck in Customs

Wordless Wednesday: Listening to Yourself

2007-11-14T15:31:00.000-08:00

... or listening to the group :)

Rome's the place for me...

2007-11-11T22:24:00.001-08:00

After carefully dissecting the views of Italian doctors and other expats, I ended back to my same conclusion; Rome's the place for me.

The fact is that I need more than medical school. That's why I'm going to Italy.

Padova is a nice town, I've lived there already, but I will learn so much more from a large international city with world class museums and events, a place bustling with people, a large institution, and even the city's chaos. When I weigh everything out, Rome wins hands down! It has so much to offer!

If I were to pass this by, I would regret it for the rest of my life.

6 years in Rome... The people I'll meet. The places I'll see. The events I'll witness. The museums I'll know. So many non-profit organizations have headquarters in Rome. There will be a lot of good and bad, and I will learn from it all, and it will stay with me no matter where I go after medical school.

I've faced enormous challenges all my life, and I've learned from each one of them, and I'm still here. Actually, it makes me who I am.

Photo credit: Christopher McKean Scott, view his photo blog. (Thanks Chris :)

The fact is that I need to balance out science. I don't just want to be another nerd. Life experiences teach me more than any book will ever teach me. That's why I'm going to Rome.

The fact is that I want a large international city with intense culture and history. That's why I'm going to Rome.

Photo Credit: Stuck In Customs Blog, Creative Common License

It's settled.

My father always tells me, "Don't take anything for granted. Once you take something for granted, you fail to savor everything it has to offer, and you are not as happy." While I'm in Rome, I will look around and remind myself of how hard it was to get there, what a privilege it is to live there, and I'll savor every second as if were the last...

I'm sure I'll be challenged every day, and I wouldn't want it any other way.

Lucky Wednesday

2007-11-07T23:48:00.000-08:00

How many persimmons can a person eat? Obviously, not enough! It's all we've been having lately since there are hundreds, and hundreds of ripe persimmons on our back yard! As I was getting the rights for the previous images on istock, I was happy to have found this persimmon/cranberry salad :)

"A bed of mixed wild green hosts delectable toppings of dried and fresh cranberries, persimmons, walnuts, crumbled gorgonzola cheese and finished with an aged balsamic and honey dressing." Yum!

Meanwhile, speaking of backyard, every morning as I look outside my bedroom window, I see a long field of clovers and I wonder if there's a 4-leaf clover hiding somewhere in there. Today, half jokingly, I told my father I was going to step outside and look for that four-leaf clover of mine, and hopefully I'd give me good luck.

My father said, don't even try! You go out there and make our own luck!

I smiled and said, you're right! I'll make my own luck! So, I went out and made my own lucky 4-leaf clover! :) It's now taped to my bed-room mirror staring at me as I write.

Today is il Mio Birthgiorno! Ta na na na na...

2007-11-06T00:45:00.000-08:00

Today is my birthday! ta, na, na, na, na :)

Around this time last year I was out of the country when my brother called me to return to Phoenix since he was being sent to do logistics for the Iraq war, and the child's mother was also sent abroad. After being independent for so many years, overnight I had to raise a 4 year-old alone, work, cook and maintain a house... alone! Being a mom is no joke! It was the toughest task I've ever done! I also knew I wouldn't be able to process the Visa, again, and it broke my heart. The combination of so many things made this previous year the toughest in my life. Here I am. I made it!

Once I overcame my initial anger, I spent countless evenings lost in my thoughts mapping out a path that would allow me to get to where I wanted to go. Slowly, things started to fall into place and I found new ways to solve what at first seemed impossible.

That's when I began to work for myself. That's when I discovered a job I can take with me no matter what part of the world I go to. That's when I began to invoice in a stable currency so that I wont be affected by the falling dollar. That's when I found a profession that is flexible enough so I can take care of myself while I pursue my dream of studying medicine...in Italy. That's when I found out that I no longer need the approval of others (and that's a big one for me!).

It was a painfully tough year, but I took away good things from it.

Now one more year is over and gone. A new one beings. As I look forward, I wonder what's in store for me this year. I'm optimistic and well aware that the choices I make in the next coming months will shape the next decade or so.

My response? Hand stretched out, palms up, waving fingers motion "bring it on, baby!" :)

My family has been insisting on taking me to a hair stylist for months! But since hairstylists haven't learned to read my mind, and the final outcome tends to be the scary opposite of what I imagined, today I took out the scissors and began to style my own hair. In the end, I looked to the floor and saw the huge pile of hair and I smiled. It felt good to cut off layer after layer on my own and get the outcome I envisioned :) When everyone found out, they couldn't believe I would do such a thing by myself!... but I get that a lot.

Now who wants a virtual slice of cake! It's chocolate with strawberries! My favorite! Is red wine okay?

Ah, and Happy Birthday also to Jeff in Puglia! I think most of you know his cool blog :)

What Dominates Your Brain? Look at this image :)

2007-11-03T15:08:00.000-07:00

Do you see the dancer turning clockwise or anti-clockwise?

This is supposed to be a Right Brain vs Left Brain test. The direction of the dancer's spin depends on which side of your brain is more dominant. I could only see it clockwise, it sometimes stops, then keeps going clockwise. Allegedly, if you concentrate you can make it spin the other way.

So, I decided to make an experiment and sat a room full of family and had them look at the image at the very same time, some began to say "clock wise" while others said "counter clockwise", but mom said "it switches back and forth". Dad said "you guys are kidding." Interesting!

Click on the image if it isn't spinning at all.

Full article => Herald Sun

Apropos to nothing, Tuesday is my birthday.
Makes me want to jump and spin just like she does! Well, almost:)

So, what do you think? Is the dancer turning right or left?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EDIT: After a second test where two people who were looking at the spinning lady at the same time began to argue: "it's obviously spinning right" "are you kidding me? it's going left, look at it" "I am looking at it, and it's going right!" left, right, left, right... so who's right? I turned to my friend, Google.

Even AOL News ran a poll on this image:

Turns out this image is heavily debated in the blogosphere, and the New Scientist debunked it saying it has nothing to do with right or left side of the brain, but that it is an optical illusion where different people will see different things because the dancing lady is a "two-dimensional image of only 34 frames in a constant loop that does not contain enough three-dimensional information to tell the brain which way she is spinning. So your brain helpfully fills this in, as brains do in many optical illusions. Only, in this case the brain can do it one of two ways.... what you see is purely due to your perceptual and cognitive flexibility..."

Full New Scientist Article here => Bring on the dancing girl

So, it's not a hoax but it's also not proof of what side of your brain dominates over the other. It's just a simple optical illusion :) Enjoy!

Spooky Tuesday!

2007-10-30T16:07:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween!

Will you be at the
Blog Halloween Party?

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Are you going to a Halloween party and need to take some treats?
These are fun and quick.

The Orange Jack-O'-Lanterns are simple.
Carve out a pumpkin design on an orange,
and fill with either sorbet, pudding or yogurt.

The SpiderWeb Eggs are really cute! Boil eggs with a few blueberries.
Then you tap the boiled egg on one side with a wooden spoon,
and return to medium heat with the blueberry water.
The blueberries will stain the egg through the cracked eggshell
thereby making this spider web pattern! (no aftertaste)

What will you do? Well, whether you stay at home, or go out to a spooky party, have a fun Halloween!

Happy Halloween Blog Party!

...and the Boo-tini is on me! ;)

Slowing down for the holidays...

2007-10-29T14:15:00.000-07:00

Part of the "Sacred Life Sunday" project is to take a picture of something in our everyday life and take a second to reflect on how little things are so big in our lives (if you have a blog, you're welcome to join). Today I chose our sofa, since its flowing lines gently bend the morning light, and as I begin each day, I love to turn soft music and sit down sipping a cup of coffee allowing the soft light rays to caress the fabric while I make a bad attempt at waking-up. I find it soothing.

This Sunday was all about light and this family room.

To start, our clocks played a silly trick on us and changed themselves to day-light savings time... a week early... thereby making us show up an entire hour late to our weekly Sunday morning coffee-date. Every sunday we meet with 25 friends at the local Starbucks, and completely invade it! By the time we got there, there were only 10 of us left. Then our parents and my four brothers & sisters met in this living room for a peaceful Sunday at home. No kids. No husbands. Just us.

It wasn't planned, it just happened. Since it was just us, we were able to let our guards down and have honest heart to heart conversations, laughs and tears, and we ended up making appointments to help each other as best we could. At the end of the day, we left with a tight hug and an honest smile. The best things happen on their own, unplanned. My soul needed that.

This sofa; this sofa was our witness.

Looking back on my past four holidays I realized that I've been out of the country, out of California, and away from my family, for the past 4 Halloweens and Thanksgivings! Next year I wont be here, I'll be in Italy. So, this week I will slow down a little for the holidays, and make time for them while I can still enjoy their daily presence in my life.

Several of you know that NaBloPoMo month is coming up! The challenge is to post in our blogs every... single... day...for...November! Uf, that will be something! and I want to end each post with a holiday recipe :) Any holiday tips and ideas are welcome.

Do you also want holiday recipes? Check-out the The Left Over Queen's wonderful Foodie Blog Roll :) There's so much in there for everyone! Ah, and if you're a blogger, too, you might also want to play with us and join in the tasty fun :) The more, the merrier!

Well, today I turn in the last part of a huge translation project that took me over a week to complete, and I want to take a couple days off to enjoy myself a little bit. So I decided to get into the holiday spirit by decorating our home :) I will turn on my favorite music, roll out my craft tools over the living room floor and make these Candy Filled Headstones for the children :)

...and decorate the house windows with these candles that project large shadows as I welcome the neighborhood trick-or-treaters :)

Thank goodness no one told me it couldn't be done...

2007-10-26T23:39:00.000-07:00

This blog is the diary of my own stubborn independent path, an ex-pat in the making and future doctor if I have my way... but it's out there, open, and I hope that others can take something for themselves. Or else, what's the point?

Several people have recently told me that they themselves are beginning to receive translation projects, and that makes me happy. Yup.

I've learned a lesson, again.

My weakness is that when others tell me "no, that can't be done", I'm curious to know "really? why?" Bad. You know what? I've been so much better once I finally kicked out other people's voices from my head and went with my gut feeling and heart. Trust me.

I must admit that I have no one around me who speaks Italian or has lived in Italy. Big family, deep roots. You can probably say I'm on my own world, trying to find my own path. I had no choice but to look inside myself for answers that work for me.

When it comes to working for yourself as a translator, I'm happy no one told me it couldn't be done. No one to poison my mind.

I've been working for myself for almost a year now. It was born out of need, because I want to return to grad school, but I need to support myself in Italy, and I don't have the time for a traditional job. So, need brought me down this path and I'm glad!

Despite that, when I began to blog I received many private and public comments of "this can't be done, it's not easy, you're naive". Oh, yea? Well that's funny, because that's exactly what I'm doing NOW and it wasn't that hard to get! I was convinced I could do this, did some research, went for it, and simply did it!

Many people have told me endlessly how impossible it is to find work in Italy, you must have connections, the pay is bad, chaotic system, bla, bla... Gee, their strong conviction made me stop for a second and scratch my head. I'm sure they're right! I'm sure that's what they've seen first hand! The challenges are real.

Then I giggled and told my self, well, thank goodness no one told me this before! Thank goodness no one told me it couldn't be done....

UK... USA... Who said?

2007-10-18T13:48:00.000-07:00

One autumn day in Florence, a friend and I walked in to a book-store. The place was full to capacity, and as I wondered through the crowd, two sets of dictionaries caught my eye. One said: Italian/English dictionary, the other said Italian/American dictionary.

It honestly took me by surprise! As I held both of them in disbelief, I murmured underneath my breath that I thought I spoke English. An Italian gentleman next to me actually heard me and began to laugh. No you don't, you speak American, and it's not the same thing. Up to that point, I had never considered the fact that Italians don't think I speak English... I speak American.

In person, there's no denying it. But when it comes to formal writing, are we that much different? I read BBC all the time, and it doesn't feel like another language to me.

Well, it seems like the British translators are overwhelmed with work right now. I've been very busy myself, but there is a translation that needed to be assigned immediately, and they've asked me to step in.

11,000 words from Italian to English. PS Can you make your English as British as possible? Oh, boy!

So, I leave you with a video from the Italian band, Planet Funk, "Who said?"

"I...I... I've never been to the USA... Deeetroit, New York, aaand LA, but I'm stuck in the UK"